Spotlight: ENACT at Florida A&M University – expanding horizons in policy-related fields and inspiring alumni success
November 21, 2025
“ENACT connects classroom learning to active civic participation and prepares students to make an impact, beyond campus, on local and state policy and governance,” says ENACT Faculty Fellow Dr. Victor Eno, Associate Professor of Political Science at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU).
“Teaching the ENACT model within the course, which includes student visits and engagement with state legislators and legislation, has strengthened research and civic engagement skills among my students,” says Eno. “It has also helped me develop a deeper connection with students and mentor them toward meeting their career goals."
Dr. Victor Eno, a member of the first cohort of ENACT Faculty Fellows, first taught his ENACT course in the 2016-17 academic year.
At FAMU, a public, historically Black university located in Tallahassee, Eno teaches “Scope and Methods of Political Science" (POS 4703), an upper-level political science research methods course that offers students a comprehensive introduction to the scope and scientific study of political processes while emphasizing hands-on, writing-intensive experiential learning.
Eno’s course is divided into two parts: Part I focuses on research design and methodology, guiding students in conducting class surveys, analyzing data, and applying the scientific method to political inquiry. Part II (the ENACT component) provides experiential learning through direct engagement with the Florida State Legislature. Students track bills, meet with legislators and aides, attend committee sessions, and produce legislative research reports on key policy areas such as education, housing, healthcare, and criminal justice.
“‘Since its inception, the ENACT component has helped students expand their horizons in policy-related fields and inspired alumni success,” says Eno. “The course not only strengthens research and analytical skills but also prepares students for civic leadership, public service, and the next steps in their professional and academic journeys.”
Eno highlights the success of graduates such as Jeffrey Simmons Jr., who, inspired by what he learned from the ENACT program, together with other aspects of his collegiate experience at Florida A&M University, went on to win a Charles Rangel Foreign Affairs Fellowship, which catapulted his career ambition of serving in the U.S. foreign service.
Simmons (pictured with Dr. Eno at FAMU commencement in May 2019) is currently on his second foreign service tour of duty, serving in the Public Diplomacy/Public Affairs section of the U.S. Embassy in Manila, The Philippines.
“This course enhanced my civic participation and deepened my passion for policy,” says Kera Sayles, FAMU ‘26, an alum of Dr. Eno’s ENACT course and one of the 2025-26 ENACT Student Delegates. “Scopes and Methods of Political Science provided me with valuable skills like research, analysis, and critical thinking, which can be transferred into any career field that I decide to partake in.”